


Red Velvet

by Sweettoof



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story RPF
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Cake, F/F, Pre-Raulson, Pre-Raulson relationship, Surprise Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 19:43:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4234245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweettoof/pseuds/Sweettoof
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah had been planning Lily's surprise party for weeks so it would coincide with the date of her arrival back to New York. When Zachary messes up the cake order, he has to pick up a new one bright and early the next morning so there would still be enough time to set up. On his way back to the loft, however, it was Lily who surprises him with her premature return home. Nothing goes as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Velvet

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This idea of a pre-Raulson one-shot had been in my head for a while and I wanted to post it just in time for Lily's birthday. My only wish is that she spends some quality time with Sarah tonight ;) Enjoy and much love xoxo

A particular sense of tranquility permeated New York City, carrying with it the promise of peace for the week ahead of this warm summer evening. In the heart of the Big Apple, however, stands a loft similar to all the rest price-wise, if one omits a comparison between facades that contradicted the very emotions the weather intended to evoke. A hint of panic could be detected.

“Mandy, you’re sure you sent out the invitations? No wait—and the party favors?”

“Honey, I sent them out weeks ago--,”

“Zach!!! Where the fuck is the cake?! ZACH!!!”

“Right here!” he called from the kitchen.

Sarah poked her head through the door to take one last look at the cake for confirmation before it was placed in the refrigerator. With a smile plastered on the man’s face feeling rather proud of the completion of the task assigned to him, he tipped the cake towards Sarah so she could see it better. But the instant frown on her face told him something was definitely wrong.

His face fell. “What? Is it the design?” he was referring to the intricate details Sarah specifically had ordered: a medium sized white iced circular cake decorated with fondant lilies and strings of chartreuse icing swirling like vines around the top and sides to form the stems.

She shook her head ‘no’. “No, it looks alright except…that cake’s not vanilla…is it?”

Zach froze, eyes widening. He set the dessert down on the counter where the candles were all laid out, ready to put on the cake and lit the next day.

“Sarah, please tell me you _wanted_ vanilla,” he braced himself, already knowing the answer and prepared for anything the brunette might throw at him.

“ _WHAT?!?!_ ” he winced as Sarah shouted. “Zach, need I remind you that her birthday is _tomorrow_?!”

“I swear to Jessica Lange, I thought you said vanilla!” Zach swiped a cutting board from the dish rack to shield himself from the washcloth Sarah was currently hitting him with.

“Wait—Sarah—argh! Sto—Sarah!!”

She stopped eventually and wrung the cloth in her hands.

“Alright, alright. This isn’t a problem we can’t fix…” she pinched the bridge of her nose to alleviate her forming headache and let out a loud sigh. Sarah turned to Zach, looking at him with such intensity he visibly flinched under her gaze. She peered at her wristwatch.

“All the shops are closed by now. You’ll have to pick up a new one early tomorrow,” Sarah decided, “I doubt she’ll get here before late afternoon.”

“Oh, thank God. I thought I was done for,” Zach exhaled and clutched his chest in relief.

“Well, you will be if you fuck it up. Make sure to buy _red velvet_ , okay? You know how much she loves it,” Sarah reminded, putting much emphasis on the intended flavor.

“Okay, okay, I got it. Red velvet, red velvet…” Zach repeated over to himself. He turned to walk back to the cake, now dotted with condensation from the warm atmosphere when Sarah called him back.

“Zach, wait,”

“What is it?”

“Look, I’m sorry for snapping. I, I didn’t mean to, it’s just that I’ve been planning this for weeks and I just—I want it to be perfect…”

Zach smiled to reassure his best friend and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Sarah, don’t worry. She’s gonna love it. She’s gonna love _you_ , I promise,”

Sarah snorted. “If she doesn’t hate me for using the spare key she gave me to break into her house, first,”

They shared knowing glances. She returned his infectious smile despite the nerves coursing through her.

“I hope you’re right. Just, whatever you do, Lily cannot know about this. She must not find out about the surprise party or the fact that I’m here,”

*  *  *

“Zach?!”

The dark-haired man froze on the sidewalk, the walk back to Lily’s place stalled when the voice he dreaded to hear called his name.

“Zach, hey! I thought it was you,” Lily flashed him one of her widest smiles while he stood there like an idiot unable to speak. He barely noticed the gigantic luggage she was dragging around as she exited the yellow taxi cab.

“Uh…what’s up, Lils?” he chuckled nervously. Zach cleared his throat in a poor attempt to rid himself of the lump that had lodged itself there and to no avail.

Lily just shrugged, radiant as ever in the warm June morning.

“My flight was early. Can you believe that? When I heard I was gonna get to go home hours earlier than what was scheduled on my _birthday_ , I just about jumped for joy,” she laughed. “Fancy seeing you here, where’d you come from, anyway?”

A cold sweat had developed which Zach hoped would pass off as one of the effects of an oncoming summer heatwave. Lily didn’t seem to notice. She looked at him patiently for a response, then her gaze flitted to the large box wrapped in plastic cradled in his hands.

“Ooh, what do you have there?”  

“Lily, don’t!” Zach moved the box out of reach. He struggled to form a reasonable explanation when Lily furrowed her brows at him.

“Well…uh…I don’t—I mean, I’m not…”

Lily pulled back and chuckled. “It’s fine, you don’t have to tell me. I best be getting home though--,”

“No, wait!” Zach stood to block her from walking any further. She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“You can’t go home,” Zach gulped louder than he intended.

“And why not?” Lily questioned with a slight laugh, making a move to walk forward. Zach stepped to block her again.

“Because you can’t!”

“Zach, I just got back from Vancouver. I’d like to lay in my own bed in my own home in my own city after seven months of shooting and staying in a hotel, thank you very much,” she quipped pointedly. She walked through his barricade in a fashion in which he couldn’t have stopped her.

“Why are you acting so weird?” she asked after a while when she noticed him following after her. She was steps away from the building’s entrance.

Desperate, he shouted out the reason for his behavior.

“Because Sarah’s gonna kill me!!!” his voice was loud enough for even the bystanders to across the street to lift their heads to see what the commotion was about. It echoed, bouncing off the grey bricks that made up the foundation of Lily’s loft. When she finally registered the words that spilled forth from her friend’s mouth, she turned around slowly until her blue eyes met his own vulnerable gaze.

Zach looked so small standing there with the cake wrapped in opaque plastic bags as if it was of top secret importance. But now that the truth was out, the shielding became unnecessary.

“Why would Sarah ‘kill’ you? Isn’t she in California?” she asked the question almost cautiously.

Slowly, the man shook his head. “Not for three weeks, she hasn’t. She’s been here staying at Pedro’s planning your surprise party.”

The more Zach revealed, the more dumbfounded Lily became. Lily and Sarah hadn’t seen each other for almost a year due to scheduling conflicts and their jobs overlapping their plans to catch up. When Lily left _American Horror Story_ to film her new drama, meet-ups between them dwindled since they were both so busy with work. And now…Sarah came all the way from filming in L.A. to New York just for her birthday? Why, that meant the entire world to her. 

She snapped back when she felt the slight breeze from Zach passing her by. He entered the building with a slouched posture and a solemn aura radiating off of his person. Lily caught up to him, still dragging her seven months’ worth of luggage.

“Zach, is that what I think it is?” she asked, referring to the box. He nodded.

“What flavor is it?”

“Oh no, honey, I’m not disclosing any more information. I already told you enough,”

“Is Sarah…upstairs? Right now?”

“What do you think?” Zach huffed. “In reality, Sarah wasn’t expecting you to arrive until late noon. She must still be setting up. God, wait ‘til she finds out you already know.”

Lily grabbed his arm. “She doesn’t have to know. I’ll stay somewhere or something,” Zach raised an eyebrow. “Sarah’s worked so hard. I don’t want all that work to go down the drain,”

“I’m confused. Where are you gonna stay? How do you know when she’ll be done? What are--,”

“Just go up there and pretend you didn’t see me. Act like you never encountered anything coming from the shop. You know, act normal. Nothing too obvious. Then when she’s finished, give me a quick text and I’ll come over. Piece of cake…figuratively,” she explained.

“Right… I had one job. That was to keep my mouth shut and I already failed that one. Someone’s bound to see you and tell her. What makes you think we’ll be able to pull this off?”

“Because, Zachary…” she began, “we’re actors. Improvisation is our life. Just, whatever you do, Sarah cannot know about this. She must not know that I know about the surprise party or the fact that I’m here,”

Zach smirked. “Now where have I heard those words before?”

*  *  *

Sarah’s head shot up when she heard knocking on the door.

“Shit, who could that be?”

“Can’t be Lily. Why would she be knocking on her own door?” Mandy reasoned.

“Good point,”

“Keep decorating. I’ll get it,”

“Thanks,”

Mandy peeked through the peephole just to be safe. She turned to Sarah. “It’s Zach,” she said and turned the knob to let him in.

“Did you have any problems on the way here?” Sarah asked him.

He shook his head, playing it simple. “Nah, I definitely did not have nor encounter any problems on the way back,”

Sarah squinted at him from the way he spoke.

“Um… oh! And here’s the cake. Red velvet just the way you wanted it,” Zach chuckled nervously.

“Thank you. Your services are highly appreciated,” Sarah accepted the box handed to her and began to unwrap it. She walked over to the dining table where several candles were laid out along with the matches for Lily’s arrival.

That was when the door burst open revealing a panting Pedro, panic written all over his face.

“Pedro, you look like you saw a ghost,” Mandy walked over to him while the rest looked at him worriedly.

“Worse!” he wheezed. “I just saw Lily at the Starbucks across the street…”

Zach’s eyes widened. _Across the street??? Is she fucking seriou--?_

“Lily’s here? But we’re not done!” Sarah protested. Zach pursed his lips.

“It’s not like we can tell her that!” Pedro retorted.

“Oh God…” the brunette pressed her hands against her cheeks. “It’s too late to call it off now, isn’t it?”

Zach whipped his head towards her in alarm, “What?! If Ryan finds out you canceled last minute, you can forget about getting Gaga’s phone number when you get back to Cali.”

“He’s right. Calling it off is not the most logical thing to consider right now,” Pedro added. Zach exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Guys! What matters is that we get this done. She could very well come home any minute and the party isn’t scheduled until the next hour. We need to hurry,” Mandy piped up.

Sarah, Mandy, and Pedro rushed to put the finishing touches on the dishes set out all around the dining room including fixing the large sign displaying the words ‘Happy Birthday’ hung on the ceiling in the center of the room. Zach, on the other hand, stayed silent and tried to remain calm. Nothing was going with what was originally planned.

“Goodness, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lily already knows,” Sarah sighed. Zach’s head turned swiftly towards her.

“Why do say that?”

Sarah knit her brows. “I don’t know. She’s here, our other friends haven’t arrived yet…it’s hectic. Why, why do look so…scared?”

Zach opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the door opening again.

“Lily’s not here yet?” the voice of Mamie Gummer cut through the shuffling of the room.

“She will be. Lily’s across the street,” Sarah replied without looking up from putting the candles on the cake. Zach adjusted the collar of his shirt.

“Sarah!”

“Ryan! You made it,” she gasped as he came in.

In the hour that passed, more and more people arrived and seemed like it was finally time to call Lily. Zach pretended to scroll through his phone, trying not to appear so obvious than he already was. When Lily’s name came into view on his contacts, he clicked it and typed.

_Everything’s all set…I think._

His phone chimed not so quietly a few seconds after and he fumbled to address it before anyone grew suspicious.

_You think?!_ He read.

_It’s quiet, everything’s settled down and Sarah’s about to turn the lights off,_ he replied.

Lily couldn’t help the corners of lips upturning at the mention of the brunette. After seven months, it was nice to feel her best friend so close once again.

_Ok. Be there in a couple minutes :)_

With that, she clicked her phone off and headed over to her loft. Home, finally.

The silence was unnerving. Sarah was shaking like crazy, pacing around waiting for the jingle of keys. Pedro and Mandy were worrying their bottom lips and biting their nails in anticipation. Everyone else was hiding either behind something or letting the shadows cloak them. One of those people being Ryan Murphy, convinced his black leather clothing was doing an exceptional job.

Lily arrived at her doorstep, heartbeat increasing in pace with the knowledge that Sarah was inside, waiting for her. It warmed her even more to know that she was the mastermind of all of this. All of this, in the midst of shooting episodes in California with hardly any break at all, for her. The gesture might have seemed small to others but to her, it was just the thing to make her heart leap.

When the sound of keys was heard, Sarah’s own heart raced. She jolted in attention as she whispered one final addition to the group, “Everyone, get ready…”

The door swung open and the blonde’s ears were filled with the enthusiastic greeting of surprise. Nearly twenty of her closest acquaintances swarmed around her, causing her cheeks to hurt from smiling so much. Yet Lily saw only one, Sarah, standing humbly by, apart from the others.

They made way for her to walk through, Ryan and Zach even helping her with her luggage. She practically ran over to the brunette and wrapped her in a tight, long-awaited embrace. Sarah didn’t hesitate in hugging back and burying her face in Lily’s neck to inhale that unique scent she missed so much.

“You’re home,” Sarah whispered, feeling fresh tears gather in her eyes.

Lily rubbed a hand up and down her back comfortingly. “Yeah, I am,”

*  *  *

A couple hours into the early evening, when the cake was ready to be served, Lily turned to Zach to ask him the question she’d been turning over and over in her mind.

“What flavor was the cake, anyway?”

“Hey, everyone, now who wants a slice?” Sarah announced.

“You’re about to find out,” Zach murmured to Lily and winked her way.

Candlelight soon became their light source, illuminating everyone’s faces as the New York City lights twinkled right outside.

“Make a wish,” Sarah encouraged softly, standing beside Lily as she hovered over the flickering flames.

The blonde looked around for a moment, studying her surroundings. Mamie, Pedro, and Ryan; friends/colleagues she had known for quite a long time were gathered close to her, each with wide smiles on their faces. Zach and Mandy were standing next to each other whose presence added to the felicity the day was meant for. Other people she had met when she was in theater were also beaming at her from their places around the small table. Most of all, Sarah, who stood beside her like she was her support system.

_I do support her in every way._ She recalled.

She directed her attention back to the candles. She had everything she ever wanted around her. What more could she possibly wish for?

Well…there was something. She had to act fast if she wanted to prevent any more wax from pooling on the lilies.

In a flash, the lights were blown out and grey smoke dissipated in seductive swirls with promise of fulfillment attached to its tail. Everybody cheered and applauded while Mamie turned the light back on.

“Red velvet… I should have guessed,” Lily said once the cake was cut. Just when she thought her smile couldn’t get any wider, Sarah proved her wrong. Sweet and tangy flavors from the cream cheese exploded on her taste buds, prompting her to slice another piece when she was done eating that first serving.

She turned to Zach. “Well, seems like the flavor was the one thing I didn’t find out about,” Lily joked.

“Oh, shut up. You were steps away from the building, what else was I supposed to do?” Zach replied with a mouthful of cake. “And besides, if it wasn’t for me, you would’ve crashed your own party.” The two laughed.

Laughter continued to fill Lily’s loft the rest of the night and soon, the party started to die down. After personally wishing Lily a happy birthday, the number of people began to dwindle. The original party planners in collaboration with Sarah; Mandy and Pedro had to leave early because of personal reasons and work the following morning so they couldn’t stay too late to help clean up. There wasn’t really much of a mess left, just the cake, some plates, and a couple of glasses filled with their daily dose of alcohol. Zach, however, was on paid leave so he stayed around past midnight helping Sarah and Lily wash dishes.

Sarah approached him later and kissed his cheek, thanking him again for helping.

With a final look around the room, he thanked whoever was responsible up there for keeping things in order. He left around 10, leaving Sarah and Lily alone. It had been one manic exhaustive day; Zach was only grateful positive results were produced, even though both found out about things they shouldn’t have found out about.

“Sarah, you planned the party for me, it’s only fair that I return the favor by finishing up in here,” Lily reasoned when Sarah refused to let her clean up.

“It’s your birthday, Lils, and you just got back from a long trip. I want you to be as relaxed as possible. Please?” Sarah placed her hands on Lily’s shoulders, the fact that they were standing mere inches away from each other barely crossed her mind. Lily placed her hands over Sarah’s and rubbed the skin there in circles with her thumb.

“Okay,” she surrendered and left the kitchen.

Minutes later, Sarah had returned everything back to its proper place, with the exception of the cake. She put the remaining slices on a plate and headed out to join Lily in her leisure.

“Lily?” she called out when she didn’t find her in the living room.

“Over here,”

The blonde had stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the city. The vast space below was engulfed in a blanket of night, leaving the lights winking like stars.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Lily asked when she sensed Sarah come out to join her.

“Yes,” came the answer.

Blonde hair swished on over to her opposite shoulder as Lily turned to face Sarah. Blue met brown and they held each other’s gazes. The city lights were nothing compared to Lily’s sparkling eyes, Sarah thought. Little did she know, Lily was thinking the same about her.

“Uh…” Lily took the plate being handed to her and returned to glancing out into the endless sky. “I wanted to thank you for today…for everything, actually. No one’s ever thought of doing something like that for me before.”

Sarah rested her elbows on the metal railing. “I find that very hard to believe. But you’re welcome.”

“Seriously. You flew out from across the country. Not many would do that for their friend,”

The brunette shrugged. “Maybe you’re more than a friend to me,”

Lily felt her heart skip a beat. She watched her friend’s eyes widen when she realized the words that had left her mouth.

“I—I only mean that, uh, y-you’re like family to me,”

Lily bit her lip to hold back a smile. “I know what you mean,”

Sarah ran a hand through her hair, internal curses going off in her head.

A comforting silence settled over them for what seemed to be an eternity. Sarah cleared her throat to break it.

“There was something I wanted to ask you,” she said.

“What is it?”

“What did you wish for?” her voice lowered to a whisper, treating the question and all it would trigger like one would treat walking on warm ice.

Lily closed her eyes. A light breeze kissed the tips of her eyelashes.

“If I tell you, then it won’t come true,” she whispered back. “I’m not willing to take that chance.”

“I understand,” Sarah sighed.

“I will tell you one thing,”

“Oh?”

“I think I may know of someone who may want the same thing. And that there’s this physical ache in their chest when the other isn’t near or around them. Though I fear it may be one-sided,” There was a pregnant pause.

“I don’t know. I’m probably imagining things,” she picked at her dessert with the fork to occupy her expressive hands. She took a chance, a risky one that could very well put their friendship at stake. Why she had confessed her emotions was beyond even her understanding.

But Sarah stepped closer almost instinctually; goosebumps raised where the heat on their arms met.

“No…you’re not,” she finally replied.

An involuntary sigh of relief escaped Lily’s lungs. She rested her head on Sarah’s shoulder, wanting nothing but to keep the other close. They looked back out at the beautiful, entrancing sight. The moon, craters barely visible from its distance watched over them from above like a guardian angel.

When Sarah stole a side-glance at the blonde, she found her with a contented expression decorating her features. She knew exactly what Lily wished for; she was glad she felt the same way.    


End file.
